Job
The story of Job may be helpful to those who have suffered from extreme losses in life. He expresses the essence of grief — the rage, the tears, the questioning. And he asks a question common amongst those who try to serve God but suffer hardship: “Why did God do this to me when all my life I sought to serve and honor him?”
Job was a wealthy, righteous man. According to the Old Testament account, he had seven sons and three daughters, as well as numerous servants and thousands of animals to serve him. All that he had, however, was taken away in a flash after God and Satan made a pact. God had been pointing out to Satan that he had at least one very righteous servant who feared him and turned away from evil. Satan was unimpressed and said that it is normal for people who have everything to be faithful. What if, Satan suggested, God took everything away from Job? Under these circumstances, Satan predicted that God's “faithful” servant Job would curse God in a heartbeat. So God decided to turn the situation over to Satan to see what would happen.
Satan struck fast and hard. All of Job's servants, his children, and his animals were destroyed through a series of calamities. After hearing that almost everything has been taken away from him, Job tears his robe and shaves his head. Then he does something astonishing. He falls down on the ground and he worships God. Saying, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
But this was all before Job developed leprosy. And while he sat in a pile of ashes in his yard scraping his wounds with a potsherd, his wife helpfully suggested that he “curse God and die.” But Job didn't take the bait. Instead, he said, “How can I take good from the hand of God and not expect bad things to come as well?”
Job's plight was then aggravated by three of his friends who came to offer help. At first they did well by sitting silently with him for seven days. But when they began to speak, they only caused him more pain.
E-FACT
Within Orthodox Judaism there is a wise custom related to grieving. Immediately after the death of a loved one, those that visit the house are not to try to offer words of consolation. Instead, those that visit are expected to sit quietly with the grieving person, as Job's friends did initially.
Job's friends each offered lengthy sermons about why so many hardships had befallen him. All of their theories reflected the widespread belief of the time that God blesses the righteous with good things and punishes those who have committed sins. Although Job is said to be blameless, his friends tried to help him figure out what it was that he had done to offend God. One of his friends also offered the unhelpful suggestion that Job's hardships would build his character and make him stronger. Job's friends so tried his patience that he finally called them “useless physicians” and told them that it would be better for them to keep silent than to offer him their theological ponderings.
Job said many times, “But I didn't do anything to offend God.” He knew that he was blameless before God so he struggled intensely with the questions surrounding his afflictions. He wanted to see God so that he could express his complaint and see how God explains things. When God finally spoke to Job, he said, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements — surely you know!” (Job 38:4–5) With a surprising degree of sarcasm, God went on to point out all the things about the creation of the world that Job couldn't possibly know. And Job, awed by the presence of God, responded with humility, saying, “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee?” (Job 40:4)
Ultimately, everything that had been lost was doubly restored to Job — he had more children and lived to see four generations of them; his wealth was restored, as were his health and servants. The book ends, “And Job died, an old man, and full of days.”
In the Orthodox Church, the prophet Job is commemorated on May 6. Some biblical scholars do not believe that Job actually existed. There are some who posit that the book of Job was written as a parable that was intended to show the errors associated with the idea that all hardship comes because of personal sin. Still, there are many people who believe that Job actually existed, and that his example continues to speak to those who mourn and who struggle with the problem of evil in the world today.
